Gita 02.03 – Fight Degrading Temptation By Remembering Honoroble Position

Audio Link 2: https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/gita-02-03-fight-degrading-temptation-by-remembering-honoroble-position/

klaibyaṁ mā sma gamaḥ pārtha
naitat tvayy upapadyate
kṣudraṁ hṛdaya-daurbalyaṁ
tyaktvottiṣṭha paran-tapa (Bg 2.03)

Word-for-word:
klaibyam — impotence; mā sma — do not; gamaḥ — take to; pārtha — O son of Pṛthā; na — never; etat — this; tvayi — unto you; upapadyate — is befitting; kṣudram — petty; hṛdaya — of the heart; daurbalyam — weakness; tyaktvā — giving up; uttiṣṭha — get up; param-tapa — O chastiser of the enemies.

Translation:
O son of Pṛthā, do not yield to this degrading impotence. It does not become you. Give up such petty weakness of heart and arise, O chastiser of the enemy.

Explanation:
Here, Kṛṣṇa speaks to Arjuna in the second verse of His current discourse:
Klaibyaṁ mā sma gamaḥ pārtha : Klaibyaṁ means weakness, but it is not just ordinary weakness—it signifies impotence or unmanliness. For a kṣatriya, being called unmanly is among the strongest reproaches to their honor.

Significantly, Kṛṣṇa does not call Arjuna a klaibyaṁ; instead, He says that this klaibyatva—this impotence that has come upon him from somewhere—should not be allowed to take over. He advises Arjuna not to succumb to it.

Kṛṣṇa continues the thought from the previous verse—kutas tvā kaśmalam idaṁ—where He asks, “Where has this contamination come from?” The point emphasized here is that this weakness does not belong to Arjuna—it is not innate or native to his character. It is something foreign, alien to his nature, and has intruded upon him from elsewhere. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa urges Arjuna to resist it.

Just as if someone comes to our house and starts overpowering us, forcing us to do something we do not want to do—something we know we should not do—we would fight against that person. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa tells Arjuna: “O Arjuna, do not give into this degrading impotence, which will make you, an honorable kṣatriya, behave in a dishonorable way.” And, as mentioned in the previous verse, such behavior will lead neither to heaven nor to fame (asvargyam akīrti-karam).

naitat tvayy upapadyate : Do not give in to this impotence, Kṛṣṇa says, “because it does not befit you. A person of your caliber, O Arjuna, should not be defeated by such weakness.”

Imagine a world champion tennis player being outplayed by an ordinary club player. The champion’s coach would urge, “Come on, this is not fitting for you! Your caliber is far superior—just focus and play properly to defeat this club player.”

Similarly, for a kṣatriya with a strong and virile character, succumbing to sentimentality and abandoning a fight is unacceptable—naitat tvayy upapadyate.

kṣudraṁ hṛdaya-daurbalyaṁ : Kṣudraṁ means low-grade. The term kṣudra is not inherently a caste slur. The idea is that the various varṇas are all imbued with a sense of honor, which inspires them to act in ways befitting their position.

The word ‘kṣudra’ can refer to a class, but kṣudratva can also denote a set of qualities. A kṣatriya is not meant to exhibit kṣudratva.

Hṛdaya-daurbalyaṁ means weakness of the heart. It is an intriguing phrase because strength is usually associated with bodily muscles. Physical strength, for instance, can be understood as the ability to lift heavy weights. But what exactly does strength—or its opposite, weakness—of the heart signify?

Just as physical strength allows someone to lift heavy loads, strength of the heart enables a person to endure significant emotional shocks. If a heavy weight is placed on a weak body, the body will collapse. Similarly, when a strong emotional shock is placed on a weak heart, it too crumbles.

In this context, hṛdaya-daurbalyaṁ refers to weakness of the heart that cannot withstand intense emotional stimuli, particularly strong negative emotions, as seen in Arjuna’s case. Certainly, being in a battle where one must fight against one’s relatives is deeply painful. However, decisions should not be made solely on the basis of what is painful or painless. Rather, they should be guided by what is dutiful and undutiful. This is the principle by which honorable people live—acting according to what is right and avoiding what is not.

Just as carrying a baby may be physically exhausting for a mother, she does not shirk her responsibility simply because it is tiring. She understands, “This is my duty,” and fulfills it with determination—perhaps even with a sense of joy and pride.

Similarly, for Arjuna as a kṣatriya, the prospect of fighting was painful, but it was his duty. To cave in or abdicate one’s duty due to the inability to sustain the emotional shock involved in carrying it out is, in fact, unbecoming. Such an act reflects weakness of the heart, which is characteristic of kṣudram.

The word ‘śūdra’ comes from a particular characteristic. Just as brāhmaṇa is not merely a caste—though it refers to a specific group of people in society—the defining characteristic of that group is: Brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇaḥ—those who know Brahman, the spiritual truth, are called brāhmaṇas. In that sense, brāhmaṇa signifies a positive characteristic—the knowledge of spiritual reality. On the other hand, the term śūdra originates from śocati iti śūdraḥ—those who lament are called śūdras. This refers to individuals who, when faced with difficulties or adversities, give in to lamentation and cannot think of any constructive solution. Such a response is considered characteristic of śūdras.

A brāhmaṇa tries to use scriptural intelligence to deal with problems, a kṣatriya uses power to solve problems, and a vaiśya resorts to money. However, a śūdra, when faced with difficulties, simply laments.

In this context, Kṛṣṇa is telling Arjuna: “Don’t give in to kṣudraṁ hṛdaya-daurbalyaṁ—you are a kṣatriya, act like a kṣatriya. Behave in a manner that befits you. Do not act in an unbecoming way. What you perceive as thoughtful, compassionate emotions are, in reality, hṛdaya-daurbalyaṁ—weakness of the heart. Therefore, tyaktvottiṣṭha paran-tapa—give it up and rise to the challenge. Fight it off.”

Earlier, Kṛṣṇa had said: mā sma gamaḥ pārtha—”Do not succumb to it.” Now, He is saying, tyaktvā—”Give it up.” This indicates the paradoxical nature of inner enemies.

At one level, inner enemies like lust, anger, greed, and fear seem to be external forces that suddenly arise within us. People might experience a sudden attack of worry or anger. From this perspective, Kṛṣṇa is advising Arjuna, klaibyaṁ mā sma gamaḥ pārtha—”Do not succumb to it.” Succumbing, in this sense, means allowing the anarthas (undesirable qualities) to gain control over us. These anarthas cannot hold us unless we hold onto them.

For instance, when anger arises, it only makes us angry if we accept it. The anarthas, when we let them gain a hold on us, start to control us. Similarly, worrisome thoughts may enter our minds, but if we do not dwell on them, they will pass. If we focus our attention elsewhere, these troubling thoughts will come and go, much like many other thoughts that surface in our minds without affecting us—they stay at the periphery of our awareness and eventually fade away.

Here, when Kṛṣṇa uses the word tyaktvā, He is emphasizing that it is not something external that has come upon you, but rather that you are holding onto it, rationalizing it. So, He urges Arjuna to give it up.

Kṛṣṇa further implores Arjuna to ‘uttiṣṭha’. In verse 1.46 of the Gītā, it was explained that Arjuna, who was already standing on the chariot, ready to fight, had sat down (upāviśat). Therefore, Kṛṣṇa is telling Arjuna here to get up, both literally and metaphorically. Literally, it means to rise physically, and metaphorically, it means to rise in spirit—become ready to fight.

To exhort and encourage Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa uses the word parantapa, meaning “O chastiser of enemies,” one who gives tāpa (pain or torment) to the para (others). Those who challenge the valor of a kṣatriya warrior like Arjuna, celebrated by the name Parantapa, punish the foolishness of their opponents by overpowering them, tormenting them, and causing them pain.

The use of Parantapa here signifies that you are the chastiser of your enemies, so similarly, chastise this enemy of kṣudratva (weakness of the heart) and drive it out. Therefore, rise and fight.

When overcome by inner weaknesses, we can meditate on this verse to fight against them and rise to the call of duty.

Thank you.